Came back for our third visit on our 43rd wedding anniversary. The staff and Saturday night dinner were superb as usual.
Service: 5
Flavia -
Best breakfast ever! Wonderful people working there. Been there in 2019Rooms: A tema scrittoriNearby activities: Sull’oceanoSafety: Posto sicuroWalkability: A due passi dal mare
Service: 5
Alan Archer
My partner and I went to Sylvia's for dinner. She stayed there some years back and told me all about the author themed rooms and having stayed there, but I can't comment on them. I can comment on the dinner and the general ambience of the place.And what a place!From the moment of walking in through the front door and being greeted by a cat, meeting others who have gathered for the feast and then being ushered into a dining room with large common tables, there is a feeling of calm excitement, such as one gets when reading a good book.The large tables were set for eight, pick your own spot. Coat and hat racks were located in a hallway - no having to hang your coat on your chair!We started with selecting from a menu of wines, appertifs, beer or non-alcoholic "mocktails" and ciders. One person at our table had the house special and noted it was very tasty - and it looked it too! Glad they offered NA items, but I like beers and settled on a pale ale from The Good Life breweryin Bend, Oregon. My partner got the "chef's selectionsl" - a selection of three wines to go with the courses, starting with a white with the first, then a red for the main, and a port for dessert. Very nice indeed!The food was placed on our table in bowls which we passed around. We had squash soup - which was served from a pitcher - and like I've never had a soup before!The main course consisted of stuffed mushrooms, mashed root vegetables with butter and rosemary and a plate of stuffing and a bowl of tempura vegetables - all passed around - and a plate of turkey (it was the day after Thanksgiving after all!) (This was our Thanksgiving day dinner - a day late, but who cares?)To top it all off was the gravy! Oh man oh man! Mushroom gravy like I've never had gravy before!Then dessert... Can anyone say Creme Broulee? Lemon tarts? Baked apples covered with crusty yummy raisins with (presumably) brown sugar and cinnamon??And a cup of "French Pressed" coffee to top it all off at the end? Whoa, dude!It was a pretty penny, but well worth it! We had good conversations, excellent food, and a very memorable evening. The cooks even came out and introduced themselves and received a round of applause.If you have the time (it was about one and a half to two hours from beginning to end) and opportunity, then you need to start making memories here. Oh, and by the way, did I mention the view of the Pacific Ocean? Because Sylvia's is built up on a bluff, well, need I say more? Spectacular!! (Plus, we all got to take a box of "leftovers" home. Very handy the next day!).Blessings everyone!Uncle AlRooms: The rooms are all themed on writers. (Not sure as I'd want to stay in the Edgar A. Poe room! I think there's a raven in there!)Nearby activities: The hotel is located just short blocks from the main shopping area of Nye Beach where there are galleries, shops, cafes, ice cream joints and even a greens dispensary.Walkability: The entire area is eminently walkable. There is reserved parking for guests of Sylvia's.Food & drinks: Among the best I've ever had! There are gifts and some sundries available downstairs in the lobby/library and music room area including teas, coffees and chocolates.
Service: 5
Tony C.
The Sylvia Beach Hotel is one of my very favorite places. Steps from the sand and an easy walk to the Newport Performing Arts Center, gobs of fun shops and tasty places to eat (Nana's Irish Pub is wonderful!). Comfortable themed rooms, a delightful staff and delicious breakfast every morning. Oh, and BOOKS everywhere! I've been several times, always excited to go again.
Claire B.
Picture walking up a flowered garden path into the entry way of an old friend's home. On entering you find a living room area filled with oversized chairs, couches, friendly people, fabulous funky art, all with literary reference. Explore every floor here and discover reading nooks, rooms dedicated (and decorated) to specific authors like Jules Vern, Virginia Woolf, Amy Tan, even Dr. Seuss! Don't miss the third floor library, complete with a nice selection of good books, games and puzzles and magnificent views of the beach and sea. Sign up on arrival for dinner at Bookends - the chef is special, and breakfasts are delicious!
Robert Tuck
Thought about staying here someday but I would never do so now knowing how they enacted extreme covid policies to exclude people who would not get the experimental jabs. My wife and I were looking for a getaway for our anniversary last year when we discovered this. Maybe we'd consider again if they issued an apology and promised never to intrude into personal medical decisions again.
Craig Jones
Toured the hotel but didn't get to stay there, already had accommodations elsewhere. Hostess was excellent and we will definitely keep this in mind on our next vacation!
Service: 5
Karol W
Had dinner! Excellent!!!
E3801FUjeanb
We stayed in two rooms over four days. We got in last minute; to get your perfect room choice reserve early! We loved the Colette (a classic), all white and filmy with red touches, beautiful ocean views. Walked in and right off saw a whale in the distance spouting! Our second room was the Jules Verne, underestimated as a "novel" (lowest cost) room, with incredible authentic decorative touches, from old ship instruments to a mural in the bathroom. Cleverly done with garden access, but no ocean view and the room is deliberately darkish to simulate submarine. Might bring your own bright lamp to supplement. Reading up in the library is wonderful, and you always have access to Adirondacks facing the ocean down by the restaurant or up by the library. Our fav is the free mulled wine every night in library, starting around 8. No tv or wifi. This is a place for book lovers and Victorian lovers. It is old but is has incredible style! Each room different, be sure to browse pictures and descriptions carefully ahead of time (see their website). We love it there! If you love books and old style, you may, too. -- Jean and Craig
david simmons
Have wanted to visit for decades and finally made it; absolutely as charming as hoped. The big surprise was dinner; signed up for the full experience and was absolutely STUNNED by the quality and attention to detail (locally sourced, and on a Steinbeck theme, no less!). Probably would have balked at the family-style service as well, but had a really nice, rambling, quiet and conversational evening with folks from all over. Simply a great, relaxing, companionable night. We're planning to hurry back.Walkability: Surprisingly walkable to the bayfront as well as Nye Beach (natch).
Beautiful hotel and location. My wife and I actually stayed in 2021 in the Mark Twain suite. It was perfect. It was quiet. Our view was the coastline and we were lucky enough to see humpback whales in the morning. I have been trying to get back to Sylvia Beach hotel again, but unfortunately I haven't been able to. I would highly recommend it!!
Becky R.
Best coastal hotel EVER!! Every room has a different theme and decor based on a particular literary author; no TV, radio or WiFi-prepare to decompress and Relax! Their "Table of Contents" Restaurant is fabulous and headed by a most talented and creative chef! The resident cat may greet you and you will absolutely Love it!! I suggest the Agatha Christie or Mark Twain suites-with oceanfront decks and wood burning fireplaces!! So many shops, entertainment and restaurants are walkable and the ocean is a couple of hundred feet away awaiting you! I will be here again but call far in advance to book and no online reservations. Love it !!
Diana Kirk
We were married at the hotel 25 years ago. Our return was most definitely underwhelming. Gone are the creatively decorated rooms. Now they’re just paint and a poster of the author. Dinner wasn’t served the night we came which was very disappointing. Rooms feel really old now. Restaurant filled with dolies and tea cups. Which describes the age of the clientele. This place is such a masterpiece, it really needs new owners who can inject some youth into this aging and very outdated hotel.
Patty Hite Ballas
Highly recommended! Wish we had more time to spend here, maybe next trip. We stepped back into a simpler place here, it was wonderful. No TV or Wi-Fi- but plenty of books. Located directly on the beach where we viewed the sunset while sipping the provided hot spiced wine. Rooms are theme decorated according to authors, we had the Shakespeare room. Breakfast in the morning was great and included in the room cost. Can’t say enough good things about this place.
Service: 5
cresheim
I never would have picked this hotel for an evening. But oddly enough someone sitting in front of us at a Reno Aces minor league baseball game told my wife about the hotel. My wife loves French literature, and she was sold. But I was skeptical. We looked at the website and I agreed to stay on two conditions: 1) because I would have to drive more than seven hours to get to the hotel the day we booked, they had to have one beer I would drink as a reward for the drive and 2) we would awake in the hotel on a Monday morning, a Monday which I had to review and approve a document by the end of the business day in London, which meant by 9 AM Pacific Coast Time. Good internet connection was therefore essential. And so we asked about those two items. The answer to the beer question was: we have an extensive beer selection. And the answer to the internet question was: there is no internet access in the rooms but there is internet access in public spaces. We get there and are told at check in that they are proud of the fact they do not offer internet access in the hotel but there is access in several nearby businesses, which I guess qualify as "public spaces" and discover the "extensive" beer selection consists of five beers, one of which is to my taste and of which they are of course out of stock. Moving on, we were told dinner was part of the experience and there were two options: a beef teriyaki dish and a vegetarian dish. My wife does not eat red meat nor is it on my list of favorites and so my wife orders the vegetarian dish for herself and the beef teriyaki for me. Imagine our surprise when other people at our table are served a fish dish, which either of us would have welcomed over the choices we were given on the phone. The vegetarian dish my wife was served was quite tasty. The noodles in the beef teriyaki dish I was served were quite tasty as well, but the beef was a cheap cut and neither dish was deserving of the $50 price tag. The fish dinner may have been worth the price, but how could we know. Before I get to how I addressed the lack of internet and beer I need to mention when we called it a night the mattress was the most uncomfortable, I have ever been forced to spend an evening on. As for beer, there is a dive bar, and I do mean dive bar, a few blocks away. A fair amount of shady business going on but unlike Sylvia Beach Hotel they do not pretend to be something they are not. And as for internet, there is a Starbucks about 1/2 a mile away. I left our room at 5 AM to head to Starbucks, spent more than two hours there while I finalized the wording I could have finalized in my hotel had they been honest about internet access. And because I had to leave so early I ate breakfast at Starbucks and missed the breakfast part of the "bed and breakfast". But I am pretty certain I did not miss anything. This is a fundamentally dishonest operation. No one will ever personally ask me about this dubious operation and so this is my testimony.
Came back for our third visit on our 43rd wedding anniversary. The staff and Saturday night dinner were superb as usual.
Service: 5
Best breakfast ever! Wonderful people working there. Been there in 2019Rooms: A tema scrittoriNearby activities: Sull’oceanoSafety: Posto sicuroWalkability: A due passi dal mare
Service: 5
My partner and I went to Sylvia's for dinner. She stayed there some years back and told me all about the author themed rooms and having stayed there, but I can't comment on them. I can comment on the dinner and the general ambience of the place.And what a place!From the moment of walking in through the front door and being greeted by a cat, meeting others who have gathered for the feast and then being ushered into a dining room with large common tables, there is a feeling of calm excitement, such as one gets when reading a good book.The large tables were set for eight, pick your own spot. Coat and hat racks were located in a hallway - no having to hang your coat on your chair!We started with selecting from a menu of wines, appertifs, beer or non-alcoholic "mocktails" and ciders. One person at our table had the house special and noted it was very tasty - and it looked it too! Glad they offered NA items, but I like beers and settled on a pale ale from The Good Life breweryin Bend, Oregon. My partner got the "chef's selectionsl" - a selection of three wines to go with the courses, starting with a white with the first, then a red for the main, and a port for dessert. Very nice indeed!The food was placed on our table in bowls which we passed around. We had squash soup - which was served from a pitcher - and like I've never had a soup before!The main course consisted of stuffed mushrooms, mashed root vegetables with butter and rosemary and a plate of stuffing and a bowl of tempura vegetables - all passed around - and a plate of turkey (it was the day after Thanksgiving after all!) (This was our Thanksgiving day dinner - a day late, but who cares?)To top it all off was the gravy! Oh man oh man! Mushroom gravy like I've never had gravy before!Then dessert... Can anyone say Creme Broulee? Lemon tarts? Baked apples covered with crusty yummy raisins with (presumably) brown sugar and cinnamon??And a cup of "French Pressed" coffee to top it all off at the end? Whoa, dude!It was a pretty penny, but well worth it! We had good conversations, excellent food, and a very memorable evening. The cooks even came out and introduced themselves and received a round of applause.If you have the time (it was about one and a half to two hours from beginning to end) and opportunity, then you need to start making memories here. Oh, and by the way, did I mention the view of the Pacific Ocean? Because Sylvia's is built up on a bluff, well, need I say more? Spectacular!! (Plus, we all got to take a box of "leftovers" home. Very handy the next day!).Blessings everyone!Uncle AlRooms: The rooms are all themed on writers. (Not sure as I'd want to stay in the Edgar A. Poe room! I think there's a raven in there!)Nearby activities: The hotel is located just short blocks from the main shopping area of Nye Beach where there are galleries, shops, cafes, ice cream joints and even a greens dispensary.Walkability: The entire area is eminently walkable. There is reserved parking for guests of Sylvia's.Food & drinks: Among the best I've ever had! There are gifts and some sundries available downstairs in the lobby/library and music room area including teas, coffees and chocolates.
Service: 5
The Sylvia Beach Hotel is one of my very favorite places. Steps from the sand and an easy walk to the Newport Performing Arts Center, gobs of fun shops and tasty places to eat (Nana's Irish Pub is wonderful!). Comfortable themed rooms, a delightful staff and delicious breakfast every morning. Oh, and BOOKS everywhere! I've been several times, always excited to go again.
Picture walking up a flowered garden path into the entry way of an old friend's home. On entering you find a living room area filled with oversized chairs, couches, friendly people, fabulous funky art, all with literary reference. Explore every floor here and discover reading nooks, rooms dedicated (and decorated) to specific authors like Jules Vern, Virginia Woolf, Amy Tan, even Dr. Seuss! Don't miss the third floor library, complete with a nice selection of good books, games and puzzles and magnificent views of the beach and sea. Sign up on arrival for dinner at Bookends - the chef is special, and breakfasts are delicious!
Thought about staying here someday but I would never do so now knowing how they enacted extreme covid policies to exclude people who would not get the experimental jabs. My wife and I were looking for a getaway for our anniversary last year when we discovered this. Maybe we'd consider again if they issued an apology and promised never to intrude into personal medical decisions again.
Toured the hotel but didn't get to stay there, already had accommodations elsewhere. Hostess was excellent and we will definitely keep this in mind on our next vacation!
Service: 5
Had dinner! Excellent!!!
We stayed in two rooms over four days. We got in last minute; to get your perfect room choice reserve early! We loved the Colette (a classic), all white and filmy with red touches, beautiful ocean views. Walked in and right off saw a whale in the distance spouting! Our second room was the Jules Verne, underestimated as a "novel" (lowest cost) room, with incredible authentic decorative touches, from old ship instruments to a mural in the bathroom. Cleverly done with garden access, but no ocean view and the room is deliberately darkish to simulate submarine. Might bring your own bright lamp to supplement. Reading up in the library is wonderful, and you always have access to Adirondacks facing the ocean down by the restaurant or up by the library. Our fav is the free mulled wine every night in library, starting around 8. No tv or wifi. This is a place for book lovers and Victorian lovers. It is old but is has incredible style! Each room different, be sure to browse pictures and descriptions carefully ahead of time (see their website). We love it there! If you love books and old style, you may, too. -- Jean and Craig
Have wanted to visit for decades and finally made it; absolutely as charming as hoped. The big surprise was dinner; signed up for the full experience and was absolutely STUNNED by the quality and attention to detail (locally sourced, and on a Steinbeck theme, no less!). Probably would have balked at the family-style service as well, but had a really nice, rambling, quiet and conversational evening with folks from all over. Simply a great, relaxing, companionable night. We're planning to hurry back.Walkability: Surprisingly walkable to the bayfront as well as Nye Beach (natch).
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Beautiful hotel and location. My wife and I actually stayed in 2021 in the Mark Twain suite. It was perfect. It was quiet. Our view was the coastline and we were lucky enough to see humpback whales in the morning. I have been trying to get back to Sylvia Beach hotel again, but unfortunately I haven't been able to. I would highly recommend it!!
Best coastal hotel EVER!! Every room has a different theme and decor based on a particular literary author; no TV, radio or WiFi-prepare to decompress and Relax! Their "Table of Contents" Restaurant is fabulous and headed by a most talented and creative chef! The resident cat may greet you and you will absolutely Love it!! I suggest the Agatha Christie or Mark Twain suites-with oceanfront decks and wood burning fireplaces!! So many shops, entertainment and restaurants are walkable and the ocean is a couple of hundred feet away awaiting you! I will be here again but call far in advance to book and no online reservations. Love it !!
We were married at the hotel 25 years ago. Our return was most definitely underwhelming. Gone are the creatively decorated rooms. Now they’re just paint and a poster of the author. Dinner wasn’t served the night we came which was very disappointing. Rooms feel really old now. Restaurant filled with dolies and tea cups. Which describes the age of the clientele. This place is such a masterpiece, it really needs new owners who can inject some youth into this aging and very outdated hotel.
Highly recommended! Wish we had more time to spend here, maybe next trip. We stepped back into a simpler place here, it was wonderful. No TV or Wi-Fi- but plenty of books. Located directly on the beach where we viewed the sunset while sipping the provided hot spiced wine. Rooms are theme decorated according to authors, we had the Shakespeare room. Breakfast in the morning was great and included in the room cost. Can’t say enough good things about this place.
Service: 5
I never would have picked this hotel for an evening. But oddly enough someone sitting in front of us at a Reno Aces minor league baseball game told my wife about the hotel. My wife loves French literature, and she was sold. But I was skeptical. We looked at the website and I agreed to stay on two conditions: 1) because I would have to drive more than seven hours to get to the hotel the day we booked, they had to have one beer I would drink as a reward for the drive and 2) we would awake in the hotel on a Monday morning, a Monday which I had to review and approve a document by the end of the business day in London, which meant by 9 AM Pacific Coast Time. Good internet connection was therefore essential. And so we asked about those two items. The answer to the beer question was: we have an extensive beer selection. And the answer to the internet question was: there is no internet access in the rooms but there is internet access in public spaces. We get there and are told at check in that they are proud of the fact they do not offer internet access in the hotel but there is access in several nearby businesses, which I guess qualify as "public spaces" and discover the "extensive" beer selection consists of five beers, one of which is to my taste and of which they are of course out of stock. Moving on, we were told dinner was part of the experience and there were two options: a beef teriyaki dish and a vegetarian dish. My wife does not eat red meat nor is it on my list of favorites and so my wife orders the vegetarian dish for herself and the beef teriyaki for me. Imagine our surprise when other people at our table are served a fish dish, which either of us would have welcomed over the choices we were given on the phone. The vegetarian dish my wife was served was quite tasty. The noodles in the beef teriyaki dish I was served were quite tasty as well, but the beef was a cheap cut and neither dish was deserving of the $50 price tag. The fish dinner may have been worth the price, but how could we know. Before I get to how I addressed the lack of internet and beer I need to mention when we called it a night the mattress was the most uncomfortable, I have ever been forced to spend an evening on. As for beer, there is a dive bar, and I do mean dive bar, a few blocks away. A fair amount of shady business going on but unlike Sylvia Beach Hotel they do not pretend to be something they are not. And as for internet, there is a Starbucks about 1/2 a mile away. I left our room at 5 AM to head to Starbucks, spent more than two hours there while I finalized the wording I could have finalized in my hotel had they been honest about internet access. And because I had to leave so early I ate breakfast at Starbucks and missed the breakfast part of the "bed and breakfast". But I am pretty certain I did not miss anything. This is a fundamentally dishonest operation. No one will ever personally ask me about this dubious operation and so this is my testimony.